Planned a quick little getaway for Memorial Day weekend, and decided to stay in Ukiah, despite not knowing anything of it aside from the fact that it was the only place we could find a room anywhere near Fort Bragg on short notice. After polling Facebook and getting some relatively unhelpful, slightly perverse, but fairly amusing recommendations about what there was to do in town from friends, I turned to Yelp instead.
The reviews of Rivino were enough to convince me that it would be our first stop of the trip, and the winery did not disappoint.
First impression: "Holy smokes. This place is gorgeous."
The view. Just. Wow. There were half a dozen or so tables overlooking the vineyard, along with a firepit, and a couple cozy nooks to settle into.
Highlights:
Jason: The winemaker and owner (along with his wife, who we didn't have the pleasure of meeting). Rockstar. He was super friendly and knowledgeable about his wines, and gave us great recommendations on places to eat in town, none of which steered us wrong (food-wise, anyhow).
The view: It's worth mentioning again because it's stunning. I found myself repeatedly drifting off into daydreams about building a little raised bed garden by the tasting area, planting it with vegetables, and having amazing little, homegrown meals throughout the summer, and then I'd come to and remember I didn't live there. Fortunately for me, I was tasting wine and that helped me cope.
The wine: Last but not least, right? Right. We tasted 2 whites (Chardonnay and Viognier) and 4 reds (Sangiovese, 2 Sedulous blends, and a Cab Franc). I was especially taken by the Viognier, Sangiovese, and the 2009 Sedulous, while my boyfriend, who steers clear of whites in general (though he really enjoyed the Viognier), loved the Sangiovese, the 2008 Seulous, and the Cab. In the end, because we liked them all, we went home with a bottle of each, AND we joined their wine club - that's how enamored we were.
Overall, the entire experience made such an impression on us both that we've now added Rivino and Ukiah itself to the list of places in our rotation, and we're already trying to plan when we'll have some time to get back to visit again. read more